THE LEVERAGE OF THE MINORITY

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After more than two trying years in the political wilderness, House Democrats who gathered here for their annual retreat last weekend are starting to appreciate a new political reality that few of them expected: They matter.

It is one of the more notable aspects of the current House of Representatives, which is still controlled by Republicans and more deeply partisan than ever. With Democrats now in control of 200 seats, a handful more than they had in the last Congress, and Republicans often sharply split on big issues like spending and taxes, Democratic votes have been decisive in getting major legislation through the House.

THE GATEWAY TO A HOUSE MAJORITY

Other issues that are equally threatening to Republican unity like gun laws and immigration changes will likely be on the agenda early this year, giving Democrats what they hope will be an even bigger opportunity to play a pivotal role both in shaping legislation and in deciding its fate.

So far this year, two major bills – the multibillion-dollar Hurricane Sandy aid package and the fiscal compromise that let tax rates on high-earners rise – have made it through the House without a majority of Republicans voting yes. That left Democrats as the ones who provided the needed votes.

Before that, the last time a bill passed the House with less than half of the majority party behind it was in 2009. And even before then, it was an extremely rare occurrence.

“It was somewhat of a pleasant surprise,” said Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., “that the minority votes have relevance.”

Crowley, the vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus, said he anticipated that the pattern would repeat itself because Republicans would continue to struggle to find consensus. “Some of these items are going to be difficult for their caucus,” he said. “There's no doubt about that.”

‘A LOT OF WORK TO DO'

In his remarks to the Democrats who gathered here Thursday, President Barack Obama recognized the legislative partnership he hopes to have with House Democrats moving forward.

“We got a lot of work to do,” the president said, pointing to the lessons from his first term. “What I've learned over the last four years is that it won't be smooth, it won't be simple; there will be frustrations, there will be times where you guys are mad at me.” But he added that he expected Democrats to “continue the extraordinary progress that we've made already.”

Rep. Steve Israel, the New Yorker who leads the Democrats 2014 House campaign efforts and also held the job in the last election cycle, said party members felt buoyed by their suddenly larger role. “We are, I think, more powerful than we've been since 2005,” he said. “We're more united. We feel empowered.”

Along with providing the fiscal cliff and Sandy relief majorities, there have also been some close calls. When the House voted last month to raise the nation's statutory borrowing limit, 86 Democrats voted yes, providing a cushion so that 33 Republicans could vote no without bringing the bill down and handing Republican leaders a defeat.

SPEAKER'S PRAGMATISM

One of the major choices House Speaker John A. Boehner could face this year is whether to allow immigration or gun control legislation to reach the floor even if there is strong dissent within his caucus. He has said that he is open to considering any gun measure the Senate passes. And he has also said that an immigration overhaul is a task this Congress needs to address.

Some Democrats said they were heartened by what they saw as the speaker's pragmatism on these issues.

“There are a growing number of Republicans – and this is a very positive development by the way – who want to be seen as here to solve problems rather than force confrontation,” said Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt.

Welch said he had seen other Republicans taking their cues from Boehner's sudden openness to passing legislation with Democratic support.

“He's made a practical assessment that they can't hold this confrontational, in-your-face approach that they thought worked in the last Congress,” he said. “That gives license to the individual members to freelance.”

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